1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to apparatus used in the construction of buildings. More specifically, the present invention pertains to batter board apparatus for use in positioning and locating building foundations and walls.
2. Background of the Invention
One of the initial steps in a construction project is the delineation of building corners and walls. In so doing; the comers and walls are located with lines or cords strung from devices commonly known in the industry as batter boards. Batter boards are positioned at every comer of the proposed building locations and the lines or cords are attached to the batter boards and strung to positions representing the outside dimensions of the building foundation and/or walls. The lines are arranged to define perfectly square corners and a true level horizontal plane.
For perhaps centuries, batter boards have been constructed in very primitive manners by nailing wooden strips to upright wooden posts or stakes driven into the ground near the comers of the proposed building. Nails are driven into the wooden strips and strings are pulled or strung between nails to properly define the corners and establish a true horizontal plane. There are several problems associated with such construction. For one, each end of the post must be sharpened to facilitate driving into the ground. Posts are easily damaged or destroyed while being driven into the ground. In fact, most of the wooden materials are so damaged that upon completion of one project they will be thrown away because they are not reusable.
In recent years improvements have been made in the construction and materials of batter boards primarily to facilitate the installation and reuse of the batter boards. Some of the improved batter boards are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. RE. 24,044; 4,080,739 and 6,178,651. While such improved batter boards are easier to install and are at least to some extent reusable, they are generally cumbersome, not easily available to the ordinary construction worker and are not readily storable and easily transported for future jobs. Further improvements are desired.
The present invention provides batter board apparatus for use in building construction which is easily installed and used and which could be made readily available to the ordinary carpenter or construction worker. It is easily manufactured and assembled, easy to use and would be available at a very low cost.
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a pair of sleeve members hingedly connected and adapted to slidingly receive the ends to a pair of respective board members such as a pair of 1xc3x974""s or 2xc3x974""s. Two other separate sleeve members are provided and adapted to receive the opposite ends of the elongated board members. The hinged pair of sleeve members are provided at their hinged connection with a common tubular member, the axes of which is perpendicular to the hinged movement thereof. The two other sleeve members are also provided with tubular members, the axis of which would be perpendicular to the elongated board members when engaged thereby. The apparatus also includes three rod members, one for each of the tubular members, which may be driven into the ground and the upper ends of which are engageable with respective ones of the tubular members to support the apparatus and the elongated board members in a generally L-shaped disposition substantially horizontal to the ground.
After use, and upon disengagement from the rod members, the sleeve members, while engaged by the opposite ends of the elongated board members, may be pivoted about the hinged connection so that the board members lie side by side allowing all the sleeves and the boards to be transported as a combined unit.
Thus, the batter board apparatus of the present invention is easily installed, utilizing rod members which are not easily damaged or destroyed and which are easy to remove upon completion of the job. The sleeves and rods of the apparatus of the present invention could be sold and provided in a combined package and the apparatus would be completed by provision of two elongated board members, e.g. 1xc3x974""s or 2xc3x974""s, which would be provided by the purchaser or actually on the job.
A preferred and alternate embodiment are described hereafter which will illustrate other objects and advantages of the invention. Descriptions will follow in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.